Dealer Outlook

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Is anyone feeling what I’m feeling? The unprecedented level of deficit spending in the name of “stimulus” has us headed for huge troubles?

Now, there is reportedly talk in Congress about another stimulus bill! Good grief, we haven’t even seen 25 percent of the first stimulus bill actually move into the economy, yet. But, we keep borrowing at a mind-boggling pace. So, why not borrow more! We could, for example, add some big new entitlements like the aptly-named “ObamaCare” health plan that many economists say will permanently put a drain on the nation’s economy that could never be paid off. This is hardly the time for it.

Virtually anyone in the White House or Congress can stand at a microphone, make a slick speech and promise they’re going to lend and spend trillions of dollars to make everything fine. But, after the laws are passed or the policies announced, what happens in reality isn’t necessarily what’s promised. For example, the total tally of the government’s bailout and stimulus commitments is now something like $14.7 trillion and that’s not an absolute number. We’re already running the biggest flood of budgetary red ink any country has ever known!

The real question now is whether this country can manage such an enormous public debt burden and still claim a viable economy? The answer: Probably not, unless one of two things happens to pull us out of a great black hole:

2. Or, the stimulus/bailout plans are so successful they offset all the credit, real estate, 401K and low consumer spending problems, resulting in windfall tax receipts that pay off our debts. Can you say “drug induced!”

With neither scenario likely, there’s only two other ways for our government to limit the size of the accumulated debt — allow inflation to reduce it, and tax its way out of it! By all accounts, inflation is just over the horizon and dealing with it will put the hurt on interest rates and economic recovery. And, taking tax dollars away from businesses and citizens will result in degrading, not improving, the economy.

So, what do we do about it all? First, what’s done is done. We’re committed to the first stimulus bill but that money needs to flow far more quickly to the projects that will directly put people to work (redirect all the social pork in it). Next, we need to stop the administration and Congress, currently a runaway money train. We do it by becoming politically active. No, I’m not suggesting protest marches. Read on.
If politicians don’t have anything else going for them, they do have a keen sense of self-preservation. But, as constituents, we fail to inform our representatives of what we want and put it in terms that cause them concern about their own political survival.

Sadly, the truth is we marine dealers rarely, if ever, make a call, send a letter or email to our representatives demanding they act on our behalf as we believe they should! But the time has come for us to become political activists by making our voices heard in Washington offices. It’s time to rise up and say enough is enough – they need to get control of spending, postpone new entitlement programs, demonstrate fiscal responsibility and reduce taxes on business and citizens.

“You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich, and you cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down,” Abraham Lincoln said, and he was right! We need to actively tell our representatives in Washington and we need to do it now.

Comments

Best of Luck, our Gov in VA, got so many emails, he simply does not reply to them any more. Our Senators respond to every email with a boilerplate statement, that they too, are getting many emails, but “if we stay the course” we will be ok. Our Congressman has been wonderful, he or his staff responds to every inquiry, but we both know that his hands are tied in many ways and on many things, but at least he listens, and will reply.

I have been writing all my elected officials, vote every time and still I feel that NO ONE, even if they listen are doing anything with the slightest bit of common sense or plan for the future.

Sadly, I have given up trying and will simply prepare my house for the coming, and it will, “correction” in the economy. Better a little pain now, and let capitalism run it’s course, than to be in debt our life, our kids, lives, and likely their kids and grandkids.

You can’t spend your way out of this, contrary to popular opinion, nor can you tax any one enough to do it.

Wow, I loved the article by Norm AND the comments by Dave and Bob. I have nothing to biatch about, except our gov’t of course.
Amen on the 2010 elections. I think the dems are going to be surprised and will lose some seats. My concern though, and I’m not sure many people truly understand this, but our gov’t is creating a dependent society. I’m talking about a society dependent upon gov’t. Once you get everyone nursing on the gov’t, they will vote democrat until the milk stops flowing. That is a scary scenario and will make it hard to take this country back. We can do it though!

So arch what you are saying is we are become a tax for a teet society. It is here in front of us now & the poor & dumb folk are happy with their king…..yet they get to vote??? Don’t just write send money to those that support your belives. Send money to those that will run agianst the communists like BF of Mass. or the Shuumer’s of the senate. Money talks BS walks……